Duke’s coach
backs Snyder,
calls him ‘family’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had nothing but good things to say Wednesday about Missouri coach Quin Snyder, a former Blue Devils player and assistant caught up in an NCAA investigation.

“Quin is like a member of my family,” Krzyzewski said. “I love Quin.”

Mike Krzyzewski

Krzyzewski, speaking to reporters after an appearance on behalf of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said he regularly speaks to Snyder.

Earlier this month, Missouri acknowledged that Snyder had violated some NCAA rules but said most of the violations were unintentional. Missouri also denied that one of Snyder’s former assistants gave former player Ricky Clemons $250.

Still, Snyder received a letter of reprimand, was placed on two years’ internal probation and had his base salary frozen for two years.

“In everyone’s life, you’re going to have some problems,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s had a really, really difficult year, and I’m proud of the way he’s stood up to it.”

The Duke coach said he could not say whether Snyder was being judged more harshly because he came to Missouri from a program generally regarded as one of the NCAA’s cleanest.

“What I see on a national level and what is on a local level — local being Missouri and Kansas — I can’t keep up with all those things,” Krzyzewski said. “I don’t know how hard he’s been judged.”